2011 Softball Reflections

The softball season has come and gone and I now have my first season as a coach under my belt.  Overall, it was a very good experience.  I knew it would be fun and there may be moments where I wouldn't enjoy it, and it turned out that way.  The good very much outweighs the bad, however, and I am thankful for that.

It was very fun getting to know all of the girls and their different personalities and watching them improve as the season went on.  Sure it was frustrating at times when things didn't go the way I hoped, but that's part of the game and being a coach.

I loved encouraging the girls, especially when they did really well.  There were a number of funny instances, as can be expected at this level.  Whenever the girls found ladybugs in the grass either before a game or at practice, things would come to a halt instantly.  Sometimes the dirt formations were more interesting than the game itself.  Girls would be singing while in the field, including Courtney.

I was fortunate to have a good team mom and great coaches that helped out a lot.  That made the experience more enjoyable since that meant it wasn't all up to me.

Things didn't always go our way.  The controversy of the rules and how the opposing coach changed them while already playing the game, in our second playoff game, when we lost.  A number of our parents, including me, have been vocal to the league about that since it sounds like the same coach did the same thing last year, and won the tournament both years.  Very sad, especially at this level.  As a result there are at least two families from my team that will be leaving the league next year.  Fortunately, I got a good response from the league President, who at the end of his e-mail asked me if I had considered being on the Board.  It's something I'm now looking into, so we'll see what happens with that.

I'm hoping I am able to coach again next year, when Courtney moves up into the next division.  It will definitely be more challenging, but I loved the strategic planning associated with the post-season tournament this year.  At the next level, I'll get to do that every game!  But first, I need to get a job and make sure that my schedule will allow me to coach.

For the time being, though, I will continue my search for a new job, which has lasted for over 7 months now.  Being able to coach the girls' softball team was definitely something to take advantage of while I had the time.  Next up, coaching soccer in the Fall at church.